Lost Nova news & patch notes

My third game just came out! It's called WitchHand! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2420880/WitchHand/ Use cards to build your empire of witches. Maximize the production of your villages and use your resources strategically to upgrade and expand. Focus on trade, alchemy research, or war in order to secure your coven's place amongst the Council of Fates, influencing the destiny of all. WitchHand is a lot less story-focused than Lost Nova, but it has a lot of the same vibes that I think you'll enjoy. It's a card-based city builder about managing villages of witches and defeating the void and I'm super proud of how it came out. Topher came back to produce the WitchHand OST, so if you were a fan at all of the music in Lost Nova, his new jams alone are worth the price of admission. Thanks for sticking with me, friends. I appreciate you! <3 Jon

My second game just came out! It's called Mechanibot! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1842510/Mechanibot/ Play as a small robot charged with repairing the dying sun. Build and upgrade your team of robots to survive against the waves of enemies keeping you from your goal. After an extremely dense six months of development, I'm super excited to finally share this world of robots with you. Mechanibot is quite different from Lost Nova but has a lot of the same energy that I think you'll enjoy. The characters are cute and wholesome and the story deals with themes of fate, breaking free of responsibilities you didn't ask for, and solving problems with friendship. And, of course, you know I wasn't able to stop myself from sneaking a few Lost Nova references in. Thanks for sticking with me, friends. I appreciate you! <3 Jon

- band friends no longer appear during the pumpkin event - removed an unwelcome NPC from the museum - adjusted seed store interaction range - adjusted collision walls in Roomwoods - adjusted pushable blocks to behave more consistently with the player's laser - adjusted jumping collision detection - updated goo slime's dialogue - fixed rare iceberg robot disappearance - fixed a bear child being off screen under extremely specific circumstances - auto saving no longer occurs if the player is inside of a rock for some reason (or any other place that you would traditionally not want to be inside forever)

- moved a rock in the hub area a little to the left - updated Painted Desert ground textures - fixed crystal deposits being invulnerable to beam damage - fixed inconsistent ocean dock collisions - fixed the rare ship leaving their pilot behind - fixed store item description alignment - adjusted some collision walls in the Sky Plains - adjusted mouse cursor size

- updated speedy beet store description - gamepad controls added to options - vignettes on/off added to options - fixed player silhouette drawing incorrectly in some situations

- fixed fashion boots being too fabulous and causing a crash - fixed ocean buoy collision

- credits updated - dialogue updates, corrections, and adjustments - fixed some desert rocks to be easier to jump over - fixed player sprite facing on loading a save - fixed rare crash after repeated save loads while using a gamepad

- Fixed rare occurences of getting stuck in ocean coral

It's here!

Lost Nova is now available on Steam!

Lost during a vacation gone wrong, help Mia gather what she needs to fix her ship and get home. Use your trusty salvaging laser to harvest resources and earn currency for buying upgrades and unlocking new activities. Meet new friends and help each other get yourselves unlost. After about a year and a half of development, I'm super excited to finally share this cozy world with you. It's just the two of us on the team, so if you're able to do any of the following...

• Tell your friends
• Leave a review
• Share on social media

...it'd be much appreciated!

But what about those tunes?

Good question. Whatever you do, don't miss Topher's beautiful Lost Nova OST, available here. In addition to the music for Lost Nova, Topher is also responsible for the sound effects and additional programming. Thank you, Topher! I couldn't have done it without you.

Yeah, but what if I want to hear more from you?

Another great question, thank you for asking. Here's our twitters:

• Jon on Twitter
• Topher on Twitter

And here's where you can sign up for the mailing list, where I'll send out any news about me and my games, advance notice of any sales or discounts, and sometimes even alpha/beta testing opportunities. Okay, that's it! Have fun getting Lost! <3 Jon and Topher

Lost Nova just received a release date AND a new trailer! I'm super excited to finally announce the release date for Lost Nova:

🌟 MAY 11TH! 2022! 🌟

Lost Nova will be launching on Steam and if you'd like a reminder on launch day (and other updates on me and my games), join my mailing list. Thank you all for joining me on this adventure. I can't wait to finally share this world with you. I hope to see you on launch day!

Hey friends! We got a big post today. There's a lot to talk about! There's so many exciting things happening with Lost Nova that it's hard to keep up with. But let's try!

A Concerning Need for Speed

https://i.imgur.com/3d1zJZ8.jpg Sometimes you gotta go fast. In the Coral Ocean, you'll be able to do just that. If you do it well enough, you'll earn a prize. It's that simple! Just make sure you watch out for all the obstacles.

Clothes for your Head

https://i.imgur.com/cjELrDx.jpg Introducing the latest fashion craze: Head Clothes! In Lost Nova you'll be able to collect and wear an assortment of various head adornments. For fashion! Want to look like royalty? Want to look like you're taking a casual Springtime stroll through the fields? Want a suspicious leaf sprouting from your head? We got the fashion you need to make all these dreams come true. https://i.imgur.com/FcfBEEH.jpg One such source for this fashion is unlocked later in the game. It's a bit isolated, but if you can find it, you'll discover more than just fashion dwelling within...

I Put a Dog in the Game

https://i.imgur.com/KHbDrGB.jpg It's true! In fact, there's a few different ghostly animals all ready and waiting for you to befriend them. It takes a bit of work for the pet shop to become available, but once it is? Oh man, that means it's time for FRIENDSHIP. I won't say much more, but I will say that your pets, once befriended, perform a function beyond lifelong companionship. I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Until Next Time

That's all for now! Until next time, please take a second to wishlist the game, if you haven't already. It really helps me out and the Steam algorithm really likes it! <3 Jon

Hey friends! I continue to be absolutely, completely buried beneath a mountain of never-ending work. While I'm still here, my head poking out for a momentary breath of life-giving air, let me tell you about what's going on with Lost Nova lately!

He Has a Job for You

https://i.imgur.com/faHcExa.png At some point along your journey, this little apple dude will show up. No one knows how, but we do know why! They'll charge you with the task of delivering packages to the peoples of this world. https://i.imgur.com/ljytSug.png Once you find the correct recipient in one of the local towns and deliver them their package, you may find a new friend in need of delivering a new package, thus continuing the cycle. In exchange for this service, you'll receive currency. Which is how jobs work.

Breaking Rocks: More Fun Than Ever

https://i.imgur.com/yatPu2e.gif I figured that since shooting stuff with your laser is pretty much the main mechanic of the game, it'd be a good idea to go back and add some more feel and polish to it. Stuff you shoot now periodically pop out resources as you shoot it! They also do a little wiggle and puff out smoke. Like a little dance! Before being destroyed forever!

Until Next Time

That's all for now, I have to get back to work! Until next time, please take a second to wishlist the game, if you haven't already. It really helps me out and the Steam algorithm really likes it! <3 Jon

Hey friends! Hope the new year is treating you well so far. I have a lot of projects going now, so I've been very busy! Branching out into working on other games is really exciting and allows me to explore different aspects of game development. Not to mention the added benefit of bringing in multiple revenue streams so I can stay afloat. But let's talk about Lost Nova!

☁️ The Sky Plains

https://i.imgur.com/mXnHcmd.jpg After the unfortunate and entirely unavoidable crashing of your spaceship, you'll find yourself in the Sky Plains. As the first area of the game, you'll be introduced to the mechanics of the game, chief among them being The Mechanic. https://i.imgur.com/B2kcPc5.jpg The Mechanic runs the store where you can purchase new equipment. They'll also play a critical role in repairing your ship. I recommend making friends with them as soon as you can!

🎣 No-Stress Fishing

https://i.imgur.com/OVV9Bai.jpg Can't have a chill exploration/resource gathering game without fishing! But, like, is it just me, or can fishing be a bit stressful in a lot of games? Especially the ones where losing a fish breaks some sort of combo or streak. I didn't want Lost Nova to have anything like that so what we get is a simple, no-stress fishing system. Find a fishing spot, catch a fish shaped like an apple, profit. It's never been easier! https://i.imgur.com/Bswz4ea.jpg

But What Do I Do With These Fish?

https://i.imgur.com/bA4jtoM.jpg After a relaxing day of catching fish out of lava pools and clouds, you can take your haul to the fisherman. The fisherman is beyond excited to pay you for any fish your bring them. Their motives remain a mystery, but personally I have no reason to believe that they're using these fish for evil in any capacity. Just a good, wholesome fisherman with no secrets. That's what I say.

Until Next Time

That's all for now, I have to get back to work! Until next time, please take a second to wishlist the game, if you haven't already. It really helps me out and the Steam algorithm really likes it! <3 Jon

There's a lot of different ways to do an in-game map. There's a lot of ways to get it right and a lot of ways to get it wrong. As the world of Lost Nova got bigger, I needed to start thinking about how to do my own in-game map. Here's the results! https://i.imgur.com/jLrPm8U.jpg Can you Read It? Map readability was a top priority for me. As a rule, I used high-contrast colors and borders to really emphasize where you can and can't travel. I then immediately proceeded to break that rule for Secret Reasons. Where's the SECRETS There's a lot of secrets in Lost Nova! Would putting them all on the map ruin the fun of exploration? I'm not sure. Instead, I decided to go with a sprinkling of little hints. Certain parts of each map are left open, alluding at hidden pathways. There are tiny pictograms to mark important locations and landmarks. Each map also displays which resources you can find in that area. I'm trying to help the player as much as I can without fully tipping my hand. A tricky thing to do when you're making a game primarily about exploration. How Do I, Jon, Even Make a Map? https://i.imgur.com/sNs6nur.jpg I took screenshots of each area within the editor and traced them. It works! Other Neat Things https://i.imgur.com/nphc5Nv.gif I did a lot more than just think a whole lot about maps since my previous devlog. In Lost Nova you can now:

• mow the lawn
• talk to a rock
• have multiple saves
• play with a controller!
• shoot a rock

It's all really coming together! Until Next Time That's all for now! I believe there's still one major zone in the game that I haven't talked about yet, but I'll save that for next time. Until then, don't forget to wishlist the game. It really helps me out and the Steam algorithm really likes it! <3 Jon

Hello friends! Jon here, back again from deep within the game dev mines. I've made the long journey here, to you, with news of Lost Nova's progress. It's going good! Here's some of what I've recently finished getting into the game.

🍄 Roomwoods

https://i.imgur.com/vuwphZd.jpg The Roomwoods are home to many things. Most of them are mushrooms. But others are bears! The forest is one of the first areas I started working on, but I think the last to be completely finished. It has a really cool atmosphere and Topher's track for it is definitely one of my favorites.

🐤 Bucky

https://i.imgur.com/JdBLK6C.jpg Bucky's work often takes them to distant lands. If you ever find them while on your travels, I'm sure they'd appreciate a ride back to their home in the Roomwoods. (Bucky is the bird, to be clear.)

🔩 Bolt Bot

https://i.imgur.com/qmjxaTB.png Inbetween the birds and mushrooms you come across, you might also find some bolts. These bolts aren't great bolts. They're not even good bolts. I don't remember why I put them in the game. But I do remember why I put the bolt bot. To eat bolts. They love it, I promise. They'll even pay you for ever bolt you "feed" them! It's a win for everyone.

🐇 Bunny

https://i.imgur.com/riVaI7E.jpg Yes, there's a bunny. Yes, the bunny has a bowtie. Yes, you can pet the bunny. These are true facts that might come up when discussing the video game Lost Nova, and I hope they entice you. That's all for now! I gotta get back to the game dev mines. Wouldn't want my overlords to realise that the empty Dr Pepper cans I've left in my place are, in fact, not me. <3 Jon

Hello friends! It's been a busy time since the last update. Work on Lost Nova is progressing nicely! Just last night I put the finishing touches on some of the ending sequences of the game. I've had the ending planned since the beginning and it's pretty wild to see it finally becoming real. There's still a lot of features to add and polish to do, but it's very exciting to see it all coming together.

🌊 Coral Ocean

https://i.imgur.com/9xvBFQQ.png The desert zone is by far the most complicated zone in the game so far. It has about as many art assets and NPCs as the first two zones combined. It also has the most scripted events and interactions! It's mostly done now though, allowing me start work on the next, extremely secret zone that will definitely, one hundred percent not be teased at the end of this post.

🍎 Meet the Bridge Buddies

https://i.imgur.com/RfZUqks.jpg The Bridge Buddies are the best buddies anyone stranded on an alien world could ask for. Need a shortcut through the forest? Wanting a slightly nicer base? How about a bridge??? The Bridge Buddies got you covered. Though, like any young business hungry to make their mark on the world, they typically ask for payment in return.

🧩 Multiple Endings

https://i.imgur.com/13M8ZTf.png I wasn't planning on it to happen this way, but it didn't make sense for certain characters to be present at the ending if you never even met them. This meant that I got to set up a whole system to make sure the ending sequences are tailored to that specific playthrough. The good news is it's just about all done! Now all I need to do is playtest the entire game over and over to make sure it all works!

🐝 Bees

https://i.imgur.com/Ij67MYW.gif Bees! That's all for now! I gotta get back to work! <3 Jon

Hello friends! Here's the first in a series of devlogs leading up to the release of Lost Nova. Exciting! I've been hard at work getting the main content of the game done. Having a game that you can actually play from start to finish is top priority! Even though I really, REALLY want to add that extremely complicated, non-essential minigame I've been dreaming about.

🏜️ Painted Desert

https://i.imgur.com/q6fmFho.png The desert zone is by far the most complicated zone in the game so far. It has about as many art assets and NPCs as the first two zones combined. It also has the most scripted events and interactions! It's mostly done now though, allowing me start work on the next, extremely secret zone that will definitely, one hundred percent not be teased at the end of this post.

🌾 "Farming"

https://i.imgur.com/C4u4w7O.png Behold the farms of the future! I wanted you to have more to do every time you visit your main base so we have a little farming mechanic here. You'll be able to grow more of any of the glems you might need! The best part? It's the only farm where you harvest the crops with a laser beam.

💡 An Idea for a Game

https://i.imgur.com/y1lthbQ.jpg I thought I'd share the very first piece of art created for Lost Nova! I drew this in the distant, forgotten past of September 2020. The game was a fresh ball of nebulous, potential energy then and I was really excited about where it could go. I had never made a game before but I had always been interested. This art and the staggering amount of rambling design notes I wrote along with it just would not let go of me until I made them real. You might notice that most of this drawing turned into the desert zone we have today.

🐔 Chicken

https://i.imgur.com/7ZeTjQw.png Every game needs one! Thanks for reading, friends! I've been hard at work, trying my best to make sure this game is ready for you before the end of the year. Next time I think I'll be able to share some of the zone after the desert, the Coral Ocean! - Jon

Prerecorded! Big thanks to KatherineOfSky for providing her wonderful gameplay recording. Check out her YouTube for more good good videos!

Hello friends! Come hang out with me for chill stream times while I showcase my game for the very first time! This has been my passion project for almost a year now and I'm very excited to finally be able to share it. I'll be showing off the demo, talking about how I made a game without having any idea how to make a game, and I'll even be joined by sound designer and composer, Topher Anselmo. See you there! - Jon